Post-pandemic, retailers began to see what was described as a “sexplosion” as consumer interest in intimacy grew, taking sex from the taboo topic it once was to an unfiltered cultural movement.

Consumers began to prioritize intimate health as an integral component of their overall well-being, and sex toys, in particular, became repositioned under the umbrella of “sexual wellness,” with retailers from luxury to mass, merchandising products in the same space as beauty, health, and fitness.

At the time, American sex-tech expert and podcast host Bryony Cole described the sexual wellness category as “a ripe playing field for entrepreneurs.” At a rapid pace, a roster of new brands began to flood in, leading investors to become keen to buy into the space.

This was the first time these types of products were merchandised in traditional channels. In a move described at the Global Wellness Institute 2021 Summit as "a massive and seismic cultural taboo toppling,” major retailers responded, creating entire categories in-store and online dedicated solely to sexual wellness.

In February 2022, Sephora unveiled its sexual wellness category by introducing Maude and Dame to its e-commerce site, followed by the introduction of Maude in brick-and-mortar locations at the end of March 2023. Retailers who previously stocked sexual wellness began to become more outspoken about the category too, with Walmart and Target upping their roster of dedicated brands.

Sephora Strays from Sex

However, despite the start of the decade’s initial embrace of sexual healing, not all ventures in the market managed to sustain momentum. Recently, there has been speculation in the industry that Sephora would be abandoning its sexual wellness category, bringing a halt to the sale of all sex toys by the end of the year.

Sephora’s possible retreat from the category suggests that for some, sexual wellness was perceived more as a fleeting trend than a lasting sector within the retail landscape. Nonetheless, the sexual wellness industry continues to see robust growth—predicted to reach $54.20 billion in market worth by 2029, reflecting a CAGR rate of 7.53%.

One may be inclined to think Sephora’s stray from the sexual wellness category could be a reflection of the growing political conservativeness (Texas lawmakers introduced two bills that limit sexual wellness products from being sold in major retailers and require age verification for online purchases) and suppression of women’s health rights in the US. However, many industry sources believe Sephora’s possible decision to exit the sexual wellness category reflects a broader reality, one that is specific to premium beauty.

Alexandra Fine, founder of Dame, told BeautyMatter she was “not convinced” that Sephora will abandon the category for political reasons but instead due to “a lack of understanding of what their customers want.”

“When Sephora launched this category with us, it performed beyond expectations—they were a strong retail partner, and we saw real success. Other retailers, like Ulta [Beauty] and mass-market chains, continue to expand in this space,” said Fine. “That being said, I do think premium sexual wellness hasn’t quite found its ideal home in retail.”

As a retailer that thrives on exclusivity with brands, it's worth questioning whether Sephora’s move away from sexual wellness could be due to a lack of brands willing to keep themselves positioned at only one retailer. After all, Sephora was one of the first major retailers to take a real risk in the sexual wellness category. Today, leading sexual wellness brands stocked in Sephora, such as Vush and Smile Makers, are also available at Ulta Beauty, Walmart, and other retailers.

“While I’m disappointed to see Sephora [potentially] step back, I have to give them credit. They championed the sexual wellness space, engaged in conversations, and educated their customers,” explained Fine. “Compared to other mass retailers—some of which have been in this space quietly for over a decade—Sephora was vocal about it. That visibility matters.”

Rich Gersten, co-founder and Managing Partner of True Beauty Ventures—which led a $5.8 million Series A funding round for Maude in 2021—also agreed that Sephora’s potential exit was not a political move. Instead it’s a reflection of retailer-specific strengths and pitfalls, which should not be taken as an indication that consumers are no longer interested in the sexual wellness market.

“Category expansion isn’t always linear, and retail strategies must continuously evolve. While Sephora was an early champion of sexual wellness in beauty retail, its [potential] exit doesn’t signal a lack of consumer demand,” Gersten told BeautyMatter. He noted that similar occurrences can be seen in other categories.“The same can be said for ingestible wellness, which has also exited from Sephora doors but has seen enormous growth in the last few years in other distribution channels and conversations.”

The alleged pull away from sexual wellness at Sephora could also be a by-product of the retailer's growing focus on Gen Alpha. The “economic powerhouse” generation has an estimated $11.3 billion in spending power, and their obsession with beauty is so closely tied to the retailer that the media and users on social media have dubbed them “Sephora kids.” Of the retailer's best-selling brands, Sol de Janeiro was named a Gen A favorite, and customers host unofficial birthday parties for young beauty fans. With Sephora’s demographic growing younger, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if the retailer found it inappropriate to display sexual wellness products like vibrators in a space currently dominated by pre-teens.

Gerstan noted that Gen Z and millennials are increasingly open to sexual wellness products. “People’s sexual wellness concerns are not a monolith and can vary widely based on age, gender, and overall health state, offering many opportunities for brands [and retailers] to innovate and market to these fluctuating need states,” he added.

Evolving yet Discreet

As Sephora slows its approach to sexual wellness, other premium beauty retailers are diving deeper into the category. Ulta Beauty expanded its in-store wellness category dedicated spaces from 460 doors to all 1,385 in January, which includes sexual wellness products such as lubricants, mood enhancers, and intimate cleansers.

The retailer is focusing on all (appropriate) age groups for sexual wellness and recently implemented Joylux into its roster of offerings. Joylux is a sexual wellness brand that focuses on menopausal women, known for its Rejuvenation Device, which enhances vaginal health by boosting collagen and improving lubrication and tightness.

“At Ulta Beauty, we approach sexual wellness with a deep commitment to supporting our guests' holistic well-being, recognizing that wellness means something different at every stage of life. Our assortment, particularly in physical retail, reflects this through a thoughtful curation of intimate wellness products that are inclusive of various needs,” a spokesperson for Ulta Beauty told BeautyMatter via email.

Although Ulta Beauty is expanding its sexual wellness offerings, in-store stock is limited compared to what is presented online. “While sexual wellness devices are a key part of our Wellness Shop assortment, they are primarily available online,” Ulta Beauty continued. “By keeping devices online, we offer guests more privacy to explore intimate categories with ease.”

The Ulta spokesperson said that although customers may not be ready to shop in stores now, the retailer is proud of how its Intimate Wellness category has evolved. “As our guests become more connected to their sexual well-being, we’ll continue to evolve this category to meet their needs, with comfort, education, and ease as our top priorities.”

The absence of sexual wellness devices in premium beauty retailers can also be attributed to consumers who are comfortable buying these products preferring to shop at mass retailers such as Walmart and Target, where they already go for health and wellness essentials. This has become especially common among particularly younger generations, with Gen Z unafraid to show their Target hauls on TikTok containing sexual wellness devices, furthering the growth of sexual wellness brands stocked in mass retailers such as Cake.

Even in spaces where consumers are more comfortable purchasing sexual wellness devices, challenges persist—one of the biggest being retail theft. Due to high shrinkage rates, many mass retailers like Walmart and Target are now keeping sexual wellness devices locked in cases or behind counters, which can create an uncomfortable shopping experience for those not as confident as TikTok haul-savvy Gen Z. Instead of being able to browse freely, and perhaps complete a purchase at the self-checkout, consumers now have to ask an employee to unlock a case, adding a layer of “embarrassment” (cited as one of the most common reasons to avoid purchasing sexual wellness products), which may discourage purchases.

Aside from mass, sexual wellness also has a solidified space in pharmacy retail. But again, this setting still presents difficulties for premium products. “Sexual wellness performs well in pharmacy settings, but those spaces don’t always allow for the kind of presentation and education that [premium] products deserve,” Fine added.

Online Optimism Battles Censorship

The lack of sexual wellness devices available in-store and alleged consumer unwillingness to make in-person purchases is apparently not a reflection of online consumer shopping trends. E-commerce platforms such as Amazon reported a 40% increase in sales of vibrators and sex toys from 2023-2024, amounting to 8 million units sold online—additionally, 68.44% of the overall sexual wellness market share is attributed to sex toys, according to Emily Safian-Demers, Director of Insights at e-commerce and marketing agency Front Row.

“Sexual health is no longer relegated to the bedroom—it is now seen as part of overall physical and mental health,” Safian-Demers said. “As sexual wellness is being untabooed and redefined as part of overall wellness, Amazon shoppers are coming to the platform in search of support.”

Safian-Demers also highlighted sexual wellness product growth on Amazon aside from sex toys. “Searches for libido boosters for women on Amazon rose +23% in the last two years, peaking at 27,000 searches in February 2024. Sexual wellness supplements on Amazon generated over $12 million on Amazon in 2024, a +17% increase year over year,” she said. “Expect to see continued growth in this space in the years ahead.”

While the growth of sexual wellness online is positive, the category faces a struggle due to censorship. “It is difficult to scale in traditional ways with digital marketing constraints, particularly around paid media and omnichannel distribution partners,” said Gersten.

VuVatech devices, created to soothe pelvic and vaginal discomfort, have repeatedly had product listings removed on Amazon, according to brand founder Tara Langdale-Schmidt. In an even more extreme case, Amazon blocked VuVatech from adding a discount coupon to one of its products, due to being identified as an item “potentially embarrassing or offensive.”

According to a report by the Center for Intimacy Justice (CIJ), 64% of sexual wellness brands said that Amazon turned off their product listing at some point. While this further taboos sexual health brands, it also impacts revenue, blocking brands from scaling.

 “I cannot grow my company or hire more help because, at any minute, Amazon can shut my entire account down. Amazon sales are 50% of my business; my account and/or listings have been shut down multiple times, and not being able to advertise on any social media, paired with the cost of goods doubling, has left VuVatech in a bind,” Langdale-Schmidt said within the CIJ report. “We just scrape by every month and have not grown sales-wise in three years.”

Aside from selling platforms, social media advertising is also proving difficult. Despite Meta making changes to its sexual health policies in 2022, stating that "advertisers can run ads that promote sexual health, wellness, and reproductive products and services” on its platforms (Facebook and Instagram), restrictions are still happening, particularly concerning women.

“One of the biggest challenges has been social media,” said Fine.“Platforms are increasingly restrictive on sexual wellness content while simultaneously allowing explicit content geared toward the male gaze. That contradiction has been frustrating to navigate.”

Forming the Future

Because sexual wellness devices’ future in premium beauty retail remains uncertain, brand founders and beauty experts in the space are skeptical that Sephora's potential abandonment of the category will mean it entirely stops stocking sexual wellness—after all, the boom of sexual wellness came thanks to its integration with other categories such as bodycare.

“I don't buy that Sephora won't carry sexual wellness for intimate care. I hold firm to the idea that sexual wellness is a category that has to exist. Once you link it with overall wellness, then all of a sudden you are setting yourself up for a cross-category play,” Carolyn Wheeler, CEO/Chairman/founder of Vella Bioscience, told BeautyMatter.

Gersten believes that “sexual wellness is an essential category with immense opportunity for growth,” which will continue to gain investor interest despite recent turbulent activity—but with a more refined focus on brands that can demonstrate long-term category leadership, an ability to scale rapidly, strong consumer retention, and regulatory resilience.

“While there was an initial wave of enthusiasm as the category gained mainstream traction, the shift now is toward more thoughtful capital deployment, favoring businesses with diversified distribution, strong brand loyalty, and clear paths to profitability,” he said. “Consumers increasingly expect a holistic approach to sexual health, and brands that position themselves at this broader intersection will have the greatest opportunity for long-term resonance.”

The future of sexual wellness in premium beauty is not set in stone, but the category itself is far from fading. Sexual wellness is not a trend but rather an integral part of overall well-being, and the retailers who recognize this will lead the next chapter. As social media censorship and retail hesitation continue, the brands that will stand the test of time will have a distinct identity, a multichannel approach, and consumer credibility crafted through education.